Download Less than an hour ago, I had the great pleasure of having lunch with

Corinne Boyer Chair in Ovarian Cancer Research
University of Ottawa
Annual Report
Less than an hour ago, I had the great pleasure of having lunch with Grete Hale who had
been a close friend of Corinne Boyer. With Grete, I was encouraged to reminisce about the
progression during the past year of ovarian cancer research in Canada and in my position as the
Corinne Boyer Chair in Ovarian Cancer Research at the University of Ottawa. And although a
daily accounting of what has been accomplished is always disappointing, the year in retrospect
has really been quite spectacular.
The Ovarian Cancer Community
One of my greatest pleasures has been having opportunities to meet the ovarian cancer
community. Not the physicians and scientists, but those who are living with ovarian cancer and
the families of those special people. It was highly motivating for me to see the amazing
dedication of the families and friends who organized golf tournaments, silent auctions and
fashion shows to support ovarian cancer research. And I'm hoping to give similar motivation to
the young ovarian cancer researchers training in Ottawa, by bringing them along to these events
in the coming year.
In June of this year, the Canadian Federation of Biological Sciences awarded the Gordin
Kaplan Award for Science Promotion to yours truly. When provided with the opportunity to
give a lecture at the Federation's Annual Meeting, I spoke on "Public Involvement in Science:
the Ovarian Cancer Experience". It is not an understatement to say that the ovarian cancer
community has had a huge impact on the increase and awareness of ovarian cancer research in
Canada, and during this talk I paid tribute to the efforts of those who have supported and fostered
the development of the numerous initiatives that have aided ovarian cancer researchers in the
past five years.
Research Developments
In terms of cancer treatments, this past year brought advancements that turned a new
corner following the introduction of the second targetted therapeutic for cancer patients, Gleevec
(the first being tamoxifen). These new therapeutics hold promise as drugs that target specifically
cancer cells, thereby minimizing the toxic side effects that are common with the majority of
chemotherapeutics currently in routine use. Although Gleevec has not yet been tested in ovarian
cancer patients, there is a proposal to do so in the U.S. and we will be participating in that
clinical trial by evaluating the tumour samples to determine how effectively the drug has
targetted the tumour. We'll keep you posted.
It is quite clear that new therapeutics with potential benefit to ovarian cancer patients
could be studied more effectively and screened more quickly if there were better experimental
models of ovarian cancer. Recognizing this deficiency, a colleague, Dr. Tom Hamilton at the
Fox Chase Cancer Centre in Philadelphia, and I organized a workshop of international
researchers with knowledge and expertise that could be applied to the generation of experimental
models of ovarian cancer. The workshop was supported by the U.S. National Cancer Institute
and was successful in identifying various strategies that were being developed or could be
developed for generating models that resemble human ovarian cancers both genetically and
pathologically. Many of these strategies are now currently being tested in several labs across
North America, including ours.
Growth and Developments in Ottawa
Here at home in Ottawa, we have been strengthening the Ovarian Cancer Research
Program as well. A schedule of bimonthly meetings of a multi-disciplinary group of physicians,
pathologists, scientists, trainees, nurses and geneticists has been established to encourage the
development of translational research projects that help to convert the discoveries made in the
lab into clinically-relevant improvements in patient care. The Division of Gynecologic
Oncology is actively recruiting to expand the gynecologic cancer program, and the University of
Ottawa is organizing a one-day Women's Health Research Forum to celebrate their recent
success in obtaining funding for an endowed Chair in Women’s Health Research, and to promote
interactions between the women’s health researchers and the community. In addition, our
seminar series regularly includes ovarian cancer scientists, and this fall we are looking forward
to visits from two ovarian cancer scientists: Dr. Mark Nachtigal is a new young scientist at
Dalhousie University and Dr. Jeremy Squire is a researcher at the University of Toronto with a
strong track record in the field of chromosomal aberrations in cancer who is now shifting his
attention to ovarian cancer.
The National Ovarian Tumour Bank
There is no doubt that the pilot project funded by NOCA to establish a national ovarian
tumour bank has been a growing success. Several researchers in Toronto have pulled together to
form a team that proposes to maximize the research data that can be obtained from the tumour
samples. In Ottawa, tissues samples have been distributed to several groups across Canada, and
just yesterday I had the great pleasure to learn that a close colleague has obtained a research
grant to evaluate the mechanisms regulating gene expression in ovarian cancers. The grant was
awarded based on preliminary data that had been obtained using samples from the tumour bank.
With the growing number of scientists requesting access to the tumour samples, and therefore the
increasing number who are showing an interest in ovarian cancer research, it is my hope that in
the coming year we will be able to bring these individuals together for a national symposium
during which we can share the outcomes of our investigations.
Global Initiatives
Some of our initiatives have also extended beyond North America. Members of the
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Ottawa have been working closely
with colleagues at four universities in Japan. During the first bilateral workshop in the spring of
2000, the University of Ottawa signed a memorandum of understanding with two of these
universities to develop research exchange programs. Preparations for the second workshop, to
take place in Japan in November 2001, are already underway. The groundwork for interactions
with ovarian cancer scientists in Sweden has also been laid. In less than one week, a team of 7
physicians and researchers from Sweden will be visiting us to investigate the possibility for
scientific collaborations and exchange. It is anticipated that the sharing of knowledge and
expertise through these interactions will create research programs that are innovative and highly
productive.
And finally, as my first year as the Corinne Boyer Chair was drawing to a close, I was
invited to participate in the Gynecologic Oncology Progress Review Group sponsored by the
National Cancer Institute in the U.S. About 120 physicians, scientists and advocates met in
Washington to assess the current limitations of treatment and care for gynecologic oncology
patients, identify strengths and weaknesses and thereby prioritize areas of research that require
particularly concerted effort (and therefore funding) during the next few years. It was
exceedingly gratifying, given the resources and initiatives that we have developed during the past
year, to hear repeatedly the two most pressing needs identified by those present: a tumour bank
with associated patient information and improved experimental models for testing of therapeutic
and preventive strategies. Suddenly, our achievements during the past 12 months had taken on
much greater significance.
As I consider what has been accomplished so far in my role as Corinne Boyer Chair, I
think it can be best described as "setting the stage". Networks that are vital for maximizing
progress without duplication have been established locally, nationally and internationally.
Research priorities have been identified, and numerous investigators are already taking
advantage of our newly-developed resources. The base of research in ovarian cancer in Canada
is expanding rapidly, and from that will come discoveries that have the potential to improve our
ability to prevent, diagnose and treat ovarian cancer.
Now all I can hope for is another invitation from Grete about a year from now so that I
can once again reminisce in her glorious garden about the accomplishments that we will be sure
to make in the coming year.
Barbara Vanderhyden
Corinne Boyer Chair in Ovarian Cancer Research
University of Ottawa
July 26, 2001